Reunited
by Higuchimon
Summary: Kenta is feeling a little down, but the return of his Digimon partner is going to fix everything.


_**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters presented here and this is done only for entertainment purposes.  
**Title:** Reunited  
**Romance:** Light MarineAngemon x Kenta & Ruki x Renamon  
**Rated:** PG-13  
**Season/Timeline:** Digimon Tamers, some time later.  
**Summary:** Kenta and MarineAngemon are brought back together._

It was the happiest of times. They were back. They were _back_. They were Child-level again, at least those who had been In-Trainings when they left. Culumon was still Culumon, and MarineAngemon was still MarineAngemon, of course. Culumon danced here and there, singing something so silly none of them beyond Juri were really paying attention to him. Impmon had already left; he hadn't said as much but they all knew he was heading over to find Makoto and Ai. He wasn't going to be separated from them a bit longer than he had to be.

Hirokazu leaned against Guardromon, a cool, relaxed look in his eyes, completely belying the way Guardromon kept shooting his eyes over to Ruki and Renamon. The eldest female Tamer and her partner had their arms around one another still. Age obviously meant nothing to either of them, nor did species. Ryo and Monodramon were talking quietly over in a corner, while Guilmon and Takato had already had a heartfelt reunion. Shuichon was still sobbing happily over Lopmon, while Terriermon muttered things about how he was glad _his_ Tamer was beyond that. If someone had looked closely at Jenrya, however, they would have seen a suspicious sparkle in his eyes as well.

Only one Digimon looked lonely: the smallest of them all. He turned in place, seeking his partner, and not finding him.

"Um, MarineAngemon, Kenta's been away at the beach for a week, his parents wanted him to rest, he was _really_ broken up over you guys leaving. Worse than any of us." Takato looked a little concerned as the tiniest Mega floated

_Of course he was, silly._ MarineAngemon had often wished he could communicate with someone other than his partner, but even telepathy couldn't do everything. _He and I are bonded as Tamer and partner, as well as mind to mind. If half of **your** mind vanished to another world, wouldn't **you** be a little upset?_

Hirokazu shrugged. "Hey, maybe you can come stay with me til he gets back! I think they said they'd show up today...or maybe it was tomorrow, I forget."

MarineAngemon gave the annoying human what he hoped was an angry glare, but from the ooohs and squees of Guilmon and Shuichon, he didn't think he'd succeeded that well. "Oh, he's just so _cute_!" The small Tamer girl squealed.

MarineAngemon felt like shuddering. _Where are you when I need you, Kenta?_

Ruki rolled her eyes and addressed the Digimon directly. "You want a lift to Kenta's place? You can wait there for him."

MarineAngemon shook his head, trilling what he hoped was an intelligible 'no thanks', and turned until he was certain of just which way the sense of Kenta's presence was strongest. Quicker than a shot, he headed off that way, determined to be there when his partner arrived home.

Kenta stared out the window of the car sadly. It had been over a month since they had returned from the Digital World and defeated the D-Reaper. His partner, _his_ MarineAngemon had been so wonderful in the last fight...and then...well, he tried not to think of that too much. The mental agony as the gate had shut behind the group of Digimon had nearly shattered his mind.

He hadn't done anything for the next few days that he didn't have to. He'd _tried_ so hard to be normal, but without the warm, comforting presence of his partner, something he'd gotten used to in an amazingly short amount of time, he just couldn't handle things anymore. He _needed_ MarineAngemon; like he needed his lungs or his legs or anything else that was a part of him.

"Feeling okay back there, Kenta?" His dad peered over at him, and the young Tamer smiled a bit. He wasn't all that used to hiding how he felt, but even so, explaining to your parents that you were telepathically bonded to something you could literally hold in the palm of your hand wasn't easy. They'd met MarineAngemon, but he still didn't think they understood just how closely the two of them were linked. Even the other Tamers couldn't understand. Takato might...but Kenta had never asked him.

Maybe it was his fault after all. No one _else_ had a Mega. He was the only one. Just dumb old Kenta, Hirokazu's stooge, shadow, lackey. It was kind of obvious who was low man on the totem pole when it came to the Tamers. Jenrya, Ruki, Takato, Ryo..._they_ could merge with their Digimon to go to Mega. Shuichon's partner had once been a Deva. Guardromon had tried his hardest to help where he was needed, all the time. Impmon...well, everyone knew what _Impmon_ had done.

And there he was with his beautiful MarineAngemon. Known him the longest, bonded to him the closest...and missing him nearly enough to die for. Only that wouldn't exactly reunite them, would it?

He'd never thought of himself as anything special. He wasn't even all that sure of why he'd went to the Digital World with them in the first place. A part of him now wondered it had been to meet MarineAngemon, to bring him there to Earth in order to perform his great acts of healing for the others. A part of him wondered if it had been because he _needed_ MarineAngemon. The other half of his mind...his soul...maybe even his heart.

_You're ten years old Kenta._ He lashed out at himself. _And he's a Digimon, not even a **humanoid** one. Talk about a star-crossed love!_

They were still an hour's ride from home, he noticed, as they stopped for a quick bite to eat. He made the usual inane conversation, while his real thoughts, his _important_ thoughts kept going on and on in his head.

Had the Digi-gnomes known that he had this weird power locked up inside him, and brought him MarineAngemon in order to bring it out? Had _he_ been a gift to his adorable partner? Had MarineAngemon wished for _him_, half as much as _he_ had wished for someone who could, or would, truly understand him?

He let the conversation flow over his head. His parents could and would talk about anything that pleased them; he had other things he wanted to think about. He wondered how Juri was doing; he'd heard that her parents were thinking of sending her to a psychiatrist.

When she'd been rescued, she had _seemed_ to be cheerful, but as the excitement had eased, and the remembrance of her loss had returned, she had almost sunk back into that depression.

No one was going to let her do that of course, and he hoped she'd be all right one day. _I gotta wonder, was **she** glad to see the Digimon go? Now we were all in the same boat...sort of. Only ours are still alive, we just can't be with them._

He mulled that one over for a while. _No, I don't think she is. Or was. Even all upset, she wouldn't wish that kind of sadness on anyone. In fact, she was probably sadder than we were about it._

"Kenta? Kenta?" A hand prodded his shoulder, and he looked up to find they were not only out of the restaurant, but back home now, sitting outside the apartment complex. He fought back a blush of shame; he had _never_ been that out of things before!

"Sorry, dad, I guess I still have some things on my mind." He slipped out of the car, grabbing his two bags of luggage as he did so. "I'm gonna go on up." He faked a huge yawn. "I think I want to take a nap."

His father looked at him a bit warily, but nodded. "If that's what you want." He started to haul the rest of the luggage out, and Kenta hustled over to the elevator, wanting nothing more than the quiet peace of his room right now. Well, he also wanted MarineAngemon, but you had to take what you could get. He managed to keep himself focused enough not to look like the walking dead up until he got into his room. The luggage went into one corner of his room, then he jerked off his jacket and threw it into another corner. It felt so _good_ to be home, as if he were finally complete. _Yeah, right. You're half a person without MarineAngemon and you know it. You're just fooling yourself. Better get used to it, too._

Kenta flopped himself on the bed and stared out the window without actually thinking. Thinking reminded him of MarineAngemon. _Breathing_ reminded him of the adorable Digimon. An unexpected noise from behind him caught his attention. Instincts still strong in him from the month or better they'd spent in the Digital World reared up, and he whirled, hand going instinctively to his D-Ark as it would actually do some good.

When he actually _saw_ what was there...his knees shook and his eyes bugged out. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh _no_!"

His jacket was floating before him, just as he'd thrown to the side, looking as if it were trying to head-butt him or something! "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to just throw you down like that! I'll hang you up properly, I _promise_!!" Kenta felt like screaming as the jacket floated closer to him, and started to scramble for the telephone. _Oh, yeah, this is smart. What are you gonna do, call Ghostbusters? **Yes, that's right, my jacket is attacking me. No, I don't have any money. Hello? Hello?**_

A familiar trill emerged from the jacket suddenly, and he turned around slowly. He had to be losing it. He _had_ to be, there was no other explanation. He took a deep breath. _MarineAngemon?_

The jacket shivered for a moment, then fell to the side, and Kenta's heart leaped with joy, his mind rejoicing at the returned touch of his partner. _Kenta!! Guess who's home!!_

Kenta pulled the small Digimon into his arms and squeezed until, _Kenta. I'm glad to see you too. Can I breathe now?_

His eyes sparkled as he gently let his partner go. _I guess. What are you **doing** here? Not that I'm going to object. But I thought the gate was closed._

MarineAngemon looked at him with eyes of wisdom and joy. _Any gate that's shut can be opened up again, Kenta. Did you **really** think I was going to stay away from you forever?_

_Never in a million years. We're partners for life...and beyond._ Kenta felt whole again. He felt _alive_ again. "Hey, does this mean that the others are back too?"

_Of course it does. They're already back with their partners. Lopmon nearly had his ribs broken. He's a fairly soggy Digimon too. Or was when I left them._

Kenta chuckled as he leaned back on his bed, MarineAngemon snuggling onto his stomach. "I can't say I'm surprised." He snickered a little. "So, have Ruki and Renamon kissed yet, or do we still have to wait for that?"

_You missed it, sorry. That was the first thing Renamon did when they saw each other again._

"Great. I wanted a picture. Oh, well, if I know Hirokazu he's probably got one...if Ruki hasn't ripped it up by now."

MarineAngemon laughed. _Well, she **almost** didn't notice, but then Culumon asked if Renamon could teach him that special attack they seemed to be using on each other, and asked if Hirokazu was getting a picture so he could study the technique and teach it to Guardromon._

Kenta chuckled, feeling complete and whole. He'd go join up with the others later, and let them know he and MarineAngemon had been reunited. For now, all he really wanted to do was just relax with his partner, whole in mind, in body, in spirit, and in heart. He didn't even notice it when he drifted off to sleep.

MarineAngemon watched him for a few moments, smiling. _Good to see you again, too, Kenta. You sleep. We've got forever to start tomorrow._ He gently fluttered around, pulling a blanket over his partner, and then snuggled into him. _I love you, too, Kenta. Good night._

**The End**


End file.
